The girls and I decided to do something a little different for my Bachelorette Party-We took a pole dancing class at OC Pole Fitness! We had so much fun- it was a blast!
It wasn't awkward and you don't have to dress "sexy" to do this (I am mentioning this because I know some may be hesitant to do this for that reason). We all just wore shorts/ leggings and our bridal party tops. Although we brought strip shoes and boas for a little fun at the end, and for pictures!

Anyway, we had 2-3 hours and one instructor. She was great and really worked with us! She let us bring some treats in, our boas, strip shoes, and take pictures too! We learned floor moves, lap dance moves, and of course got to work the pole some too The place was clean and comfortable, and decorated like a dark lounge- very nice!

WARNING: You will have a blast with this and its easy BUT you will be sore the next day haha we worked parts of our body that we've never felt before! So stretch before and after :)

ADVICE: To save money divide the amount among all the girls and its very affordable!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call them- they are super nice and helpful- and will plan your event as you would like. After our Pole class we went back home for a passion party and a late night with the girls. It was a GREAT way to celebrate as a bachelorette- and our guys didn't mind either :)

PM me if you have any questions!
- HMM :)

First, we choose The Norris Pavilion because of look and location. We wanted a dark, dramatic wedding that would fit our style and theme. We didn't want a country club/ hotel wedding- so it was perfect! It has a very large reception room, back terrace, and beautiful lobby, bar, and restroom in the front. It also had free parking and a extra rooms to utilize. They have 3 dance floors to choose from (for a fee) and you rent their china in needed per person ($3 pp). Also, they don't have Martini glasses- so we had to buy them. We decided not to have our ceremony there b/c it wasn't what we were looking for- so we had our ceremony at The Wayfarers Chapel instead.

We loved the fact that WE could choose our vendors, BYOB, and not have a "minimum" like most reception locations. They give you a list of 8 caterers to choose from (Unfortunately, none really impressed us) but if we didn't use them we'd have to pay an additional fee. In our opinion, they weren't "great" wedding caterers, and given the event and location you'd think they'd have much better options out there???

June Yates helps "plan" your wedding, but typically won't be there the day of- they have a few people that will be there to coordinate/ supervise you event. This is where we had a huge disappointment with the Pavilion...

They switched our day of person a few days before our event WITHOUT notifying us! To top it off, the person that they put in place was an actual caterer off the caterer list- who has volunteer ties with the Pavilion! I almost died when we walked in and saw her face- we didn't choose her for a reason. IMO this is a HUGE conflict of interest, especially because we did not choose that caterer for our wedding (Her name in Carol- she is from Critics Choice Catering) Anyway, I was appalled by her lack of professionalism and work ethic- she was horrible!!! She was rude to vendors, FAMILY, an even us! I couldn't believe it was happening to us! This lady was extremely moody and very negative, she stood in the reception loking down on everyone with her hands crossed the WHOLE night. I love the Pavilion- BUT make sure you request not to have her!!!!! I can't say it enough, even our guests noticed! I can't stress this enough, she should not be running events there- unless they're actually HER events! ...and to top the top off she did nothing we had in our plans- for example she did not let vendors in until 3pm (when we had planned on 2:30) so we LOST a half hour of set-up which pushed us back, she didn't help with anything at all- such as opening the back door for our entrance like we had planned, and she made us RUSH out after the event- when we had plenty of time AND had paid for it!

Honestly, I feel sick to my stomach thinking about her at our wedding- it was a perfect day except for her and my caterer. I wish I would have spoken up at my wedding and told her to beat it. We were so appalled by this ordeal and the fact that it dampered our perfect day. Whats done is done, so I just want to advise other brides to make sure you don't have her! She obviously doesn't know that this is supposed to be a couples happiest day of their life, I don't care who you are or how you feel- you show it, act it, and have some respect, shame on her for being this way and treating people so horribly.

If you have any other question feel free to PM me, I am glad to help and give more feedback. The girls on PW know how hard I worked on this wedding and how unfortunate 2 of my vendors turned out to be. The pavilion is beautiful and truly unique IMO, they just need to step it up and work out a few kinks.

- HMM :)

What can I say about Kerrie~ besides I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hired Kerrie as our DOC only 2 months before our big day! I was skeptical that my reception location and catering company could not facilitate our wedding needs as planned or had the proper experience to handle my event, and once I met Kerrie I was calm and collected about our big day. It was a breath of relief because FINALLY I could trust someone and had someone to actually listen! She KNOWS what shes doing, has GREAT customer service, VERY organized, and CARES about her brides & Grooms- which helped me feel good putting our wedding in her hands. (We would be at a different location for our ceremony which stressed me out- so she was there for and as "ME" for the reception set-up).

Kerrie did an AMAZING job facilitating the events in the evening, troubleshooting any issues we had, helped me along the night, and set up & decorated just as we had planned and then some! We (along with our guests) were truly impressed my Kerrie's hard work, compassion, and work ethic. I truly believe our wedding wouldn't have been what it was- without her....

I would suggest to ANY bride to meet with Kerrie and consider using her to help complete their big day, it was one of my 100% satisfaction vendors (which are truly hard to find). Even though you may be DIY, or your place may come with what they call a "coordinator," you need someone there to look out for your best interests or you may regret it. I am saying this from my heart because that was a dilemma I was faced with just weeks before our wedding... Kerrie was a blessing and I couldn't thank her enough!

- HMM :)

Red Cheese was also one of our first vendors we booked- something we knew we always wanted at our wedding! My DH is a photographer, I'm a obsessive scrapbooker, and we wanted a cool guestbook- so what better then a photobooth to fit us perfectly!

The pros are- it was an absolute hit at our wedding! Guests of ALL ages loved it and there was always a line to have a turn, or should I say many! I loved that it was red and went with our "look" too. We also could choose between B & W or color prints! They were on time and set-up as planned, which is always appreciated when your the bride! Everything went smooth and the photobooth kept up with us all night- no problems at all!

On a constructive note, I felt it wasn't as big as described- nor did it fit as many people as we had planned. I also wish they would have informed us as well when they were going to break down, as the bide and groom you don't really get in there like you plan on :) Lastly, not sure how great their prices are compared to other companies and their options, or if you can get more for your money and more options elsewhere?

Ohhh and if your doing a photobook guestbook have your DJ announce it in the beginning and later in the evening- many guests didn't realize it was our guestbook and to write messages and wishes for us :( Even though we had a "direction" frame- it would have been more helpful if the DJ announced it too! Just a thought...

I guess since we have been to weddings with them before and seen other options, we have a better idea at comparing them! Overall, they were great to work with, easy to communicate with, and helped make our wedding a hit!

- HMM :)

We had our wedding at the Chapel August 31st 2008! It is absolutely beautiful and a hit with our guests as well. Although a little pricey, you don't have to do anything! Its ready to go and well organized- another reason why we choose the Chapel. No rentals, no finding ministers, don't have to worry about decorating, and they have meetings to help you plan your ceremony. We also liked it because we will always have a beautiful, sentimental, place to go.

We decided not to use any of the photographers they refer because we were not impressed with their work, etc. Also many photographers by now have shot at the Chapel so it wasn't a problem at all- as long as they know "the rules" and still help to accommodate your needs to get the pictures you want, etc. So we chose a photographer that we LOVED as well as already had experience shooting at the Chapel!

Overall, it was a great experience and a magical day at the Chapel! They do pump weddings out all day long- so expect to see a bride before or after your wedding leaving the Chapel grounds. No biggie, it all works out smoothly and worth it. Lastly, we were worried about fitting the full 100 people- but it did just fine! We had a few guests not make the ceremony, I actually wished we would have invited more! We were so worried about this since it is small- so we really stuck to 100, since we didn't want to squish our guests- but it easily accommodated everyone!

If your interested, I would definitely go take a look at the Chapel, even just for the experience- its a very beautiful place! (PIB)

- HMM :)

We LOVED Atmosphere Entertainment! Joe was our DJ and consultant through our whole process and GREAT to work with! He accommodated all of our wants and needs, as well as gave us advise and feedback! He was always professional and responded to my emails in a very timely manner! Joe was set-up and ready to go just as planned on our wedding day! He did an amazing job facilitating the events through the night and kept the party going- people were honestly on the dance floor all night! I loved all of the music, I felt like he truly listened and followed through as planned!

The reason why this means so much to me is because my DH and I were very concerned about choosing the right DJ and wanted our choice to set the tone for the night- and Joe did that! We we super happy and impressed with him! Thank you Joe!!!

ohhh lastly, 3 days before the wedding I took a big step and added some up-lighting! (against my DH wishes haha) but I had too! Joe helped me figure out how many and what color- and what a difference it made at our wedding!!! We added red up-lighting around the walls (PIB)- and I felt like it just completed the room! I'm so glad I followed my gut, even DH liked it haha I was so happy Joe accommodated me so last minute like that- very nice of him!

- HMM :)

I got my Maggie Sottero dress here and loved it! (PIB) They have a very nice shop with a great selection to chose from. My dress came in as planned, and everything was correct! I bought my dress right before a sale and they still honored the discount which was helpful! I also bought an over-priced veil there too- but they discounted that as well (although not much). I feel that their accessories and veils are over-priced, but it seemed like that is common in all bridal stores now.

I also did my alterations their too- and they do a great job!!! I was a little apprehensive because I thought I could go elsewhere for cheaper, but wanted to sick to the same place. In the long run it worked out because they only charged me for the big stuff, like taking my dress out an inch, pressing, bustle, etc. The little things I wanted I was not charged for, like moving the back panel, taking out the slip, stitching some of the details down more, etc. So everything worked out!

Overall, I had a great experience with them and thought they had a nice store. They were very easy to deal with and easy to keep in contact with about ETA's and questions that I had... Just make appointments so you'll have someone around to assist you!

- HMM :)

Flower Allie was AMAZING!!! I met with her twice over the course of wedding planning and went over everything that we wanted and how to accomplish the 'look' we were going for! She is super easy to work with and gives her honest opinion. When I walked into our reception room I nearly fainted- I know it was a collaboration of vendors and wedding planning- but her flowers blew me away! It looked amazing!!! All of my guests were shocked as well and were completely impressed!

She was on time and set-up as planned! (and was great to work with according to my DOC (www.platinumweddinsgbykerrie.com) ) Everything was done perfect- exactly as we had planned in the meetings! I can't thank Allie enough for being a great vendor and following through. I have some pictures in my Bio page if you want to see her creation for our wedding...

On a side note- I know some brides are concerned with her communication. I thought email worked best (and sometimes a forward) as well as being organized. Rather then calling for questions routinely- I would email her the few questions I had to get it done, same for at meetings- just be prepared and take advantage of your time. Shes a busy girl, but still there for you if you need her... Just don't be shocked by this, she'll admit to it too haha- so no surprises people :) Just go for it- shes definitely worth it and will complete your day!!! Honestly, I'm not a flower person- but after the wedding I had a REALLY hard time letting them go- I was almost in tears- I wish they could have lasted forever!

- HMM :)

Rossmoor Pastries did both our wedding and grooms cake and BOTH were delicious! PIB!

They made my surprise grooms cake for our rehearsal dinner. The design and taste was GREAT, but the only problem we had was at pickup. My sister was supposed to pick up the cake for me on the way, but when she got there it wasn't ready. We were super bummed because we wanted to be on time to rehearsal- she was my MOH. They said they wrote down a different pickup time so it was a mis-communication, but either way it was a half hour difference and normally cakes are done in advance- so???

Our wedding cake was AMAZING! It was absolutely beautiful and the taste was awesome as well. I was very picky about the wedding cake because I have NEVER been to a wedding a liked the taste- but Rossmoor was amazing! All the guests loved it too!!!!! They were also delivered and set-up on time at the reception as well!

Overall I thought Rossmoor was great compared to other cake vendors, they have lots of experience and creativity. I do think they are a little overpriced in comparison to other cake vendors but their decor and taste makes them worth it for the quality. They lost a star because of the pick-up issue and for being a little over-priced, other then that I loved our cakes!!!

- HMM :)

- HMM :)

I LOVED working with Fusion for my linens and chivari chairs! Angel was super easy to work with and VERY passionate about his work and making brides happy. I was in their showroom a few times before I 'finalized' everything- since I was stuck between colors. Angel was supportive and offered me great advice to help achieve the look I wanted for our wedding! Most of all they were on time for delivery and set-up at our wedding and everything was perfect! I truly mean this- Fusion has EXCELLENT customer service and that means a lot when your an overwhelmed bride. Very few vendors really know how to maintain their passion and support in all the madness- but Fusion does! PIB!

- HMM :)